The United Kingdom government today announced an additional £4.1 million in emergency funding for the BBC World Service to help it continue bringing "independent, impartial and accurate news to people in Ukraine and Russia in the face of increased propaganda from the Russian state".
The move comes as the ongoing conflict in Ukraine entered its 29th day on Thursday.
BBC said today that it will use the emergency funding to support its Ukrainian and Russian language services in the region as it will help it increase "trusted and independent content to counter disinformation about the war in Ukraine".
Analysts, however, say that by relying on government funding, BBC risks being considered a propaganda tool of the UK government, and the West in general – a similar argument that is being made against the Russian media.
The funding, BBC said, will also be used to relocate staff and operations to safe locations to ensure the resilience of their services and that they continue to reach people in Russia and Ukraine.
BBC Director-General Tim Davie welcomes government funding to support independent and impartial journalism in Russia and Ukraine pic.twitter.com/s9kkN11oHI
— BBC Press Office (@bbcpress) March 24, 2022
"BBC World Service channels – including TV, radio and digital – play an increasingly valuable role in challenging the Kremlin’s disinformation, but it is facing additional costs from operating within a military conflict and due to a crackdown on independent reporting in Russia," said the UK's Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport on Thursday.
The Boris Johnson government took the decision following a BBC request to provide the extra funding to cover urgent and unexpected costs that have arisen as a result of the conflict.
"In scenes reminiscent of 80 years ago, the BBC will ensure that audiences in the region can continue to access independent news reporting in the face of systemic propaganda from a dictator waging war on European soil. It’s vital we lift the veil on and expose the barbaric actions of Putin’s forces," said UK's Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries.
I’m at @NATO where I’ll be urging our allies and partners to step up military and economic support to Ukraine, strengthening their defences as they turn the tide in this fight. We cannot and will not stand by while Russia grinds Ukraine’s towns and cities into dust. 1/6
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) March 24, 2022
Past few weeks have not only witnessed some intense military action in Ukraine but also an escalating war of words between London and Moscow as accusations of a 'disinformation campaign' continue to fly thick and fast.
"An unprecedented information campaign has been unleashed, in which global social networks and all Western media are involved, the objectivity and independence of which turned out to be just a myth," Russian President Vladimir Putin had said during a meeting with his top officials in Moscow on March 16.
Last Friday, Britain's media regulator Ofcom revoked Russian-backed television channel RT's licence to broadcast in the UK, with immediate effect.
The decision, said the regulator, has been taken on account of a number of factors – including RT being funded by the Russian state "which has recently invaded a neighbouring sovereign country".
Journalist and war correspondent @LaraLogan tells @RealAmVoice how Western media is forced to lie about the special operation in #Ukraine and condemn #Russia's actions, turning a blind eye to the facts of manifestations of Nazism in 🇺🇦. @mfa_russia @RusembUkraine @EmbassyofRussia pic.twitter.com/69tYFtbVUm
— Russian Embassy, UK (@RussianEmbassy) March 23, 2022
Dmitry Peskov, the Press Secretary of Russian President Vladimir Putin, had slammed the move, saying it was a continuation of anti-Russian madness and a violation of freedom of speech.
"This is a continuation of what is probably the madness that is happening now in America and in Europe , such anti-Russian madness. And this is another step in the line of action to grossly restrict freedom of speech, to violate all laws related to the freedom of the media, in including European laws," Peskov had told reporters in Moscow on March 18.
"If #Ofcom is truly concerned with the amount of complaints against #RT, it ought to be consistent with its decision-making and thoroughly investigate numerous complaints against UK state-sponsored media, for example, the #BBC and, possibly, look into revoking its licence as well," the Russian Embassy in London had tweeted the same day.
Another @BBCNewsnight episode, from 2018, on the increasing visibility of far-right groups, incl Azov Battalion, in #Ukraine. It raises more uncomfortable questions with answers as clear as daylight, especially for those who don't want to listen to #Russia.https://t.co/ddIO8xnW94
— Russian Embassy, UK (@RussianEmbassy) March 24, 2022
Moscow also said that the anti-Russian bigotry has been stirred up for some time already – "back since the United Kingdom leaving the European Union and ceasing to be constrained by the EU policies and decisions".
